It’s time to come clean. I was, or am, (not really sure… once one, always one?) an investment banker. I was in hiding for a while, especially during the early days of the recession. Neither Capitol Hill, the news media, or…well, really anyone… seemed to like my type. But as an investment banker, I gained a lot of experience fighting for my pay every year and hopefully some of that experience will be useful to you. Most...

Cover letters, or cover emails, are a necessary evil to landing an interview. It’s annoying to have to craft a brilliant, succinct and distinctive email when many interviewers toss them aside and dive right into your resume. But then again, there are those hirers that won’t get to your resume if they don’t like your cover letter. As the influence of texting, Twitter and other shortened forms of communication have permeated...

It was when I called my naval officer father by his first name that he told me I was “bordering on insubordination.” No joke. I wanted to laugh, but even at age 13, I wasn’t that stupid.With my upbringing as a Navy brat, not surprisingly, I entered the work force with as much fear of corporate brass as anyone.At my first job, the new trainees worked mostly with the recent MBA’s. They were pretty approachable, so all was coo...

Through your early career, it will seem like everyone you work with will be senior to you. They will be. And damn it- sucking up to them is unfortunately part of your job description. It would be so nice to scrunch up in your office chair, just you and your half-caf double latte, hold the foam. But no… you have to impress your senior colleagues throughout each project. At least when the project is over, you can breathe a...